Multi-dimensional databases (also known as “cubes” or Unified Dimension Models (“UMDs”)) have become an integral part of the business modeling and forecasting efforts of many corporations. Unlike relational databases, which provide only a relatively flat two-dimensional view of data, multi-dimensional databases typically provide many more dimensions of abstraction. Multi-dimensional databases also provide full support for representing hierarchies and combinations of hierarchies and typically provide functionality for making complex calculations based on multiple dimensions of data and relationships defined within the data.
In a typical on-line analytical processing (“OLAP”) system, a multi-dimensional database is stored on a server computer and is accessed through a reporting tool executing on a client device. In order to access the multi-dimensional database in such a system, the client device must be on-line and capable of establishing a connection to the server computer. In order to address this limitation, some OLAP systems are configured to copy a portion of the multi-dimensional database to the client device. The reporting tool executing on the client device can then utilize the portion of the multi-dimensional database stored on the client device rather than the multi-dimensional database stored on the server. Locally caching the portion of the multi-dimensional database allows the client device to access the database even when off-line and improves the performance of both the client device and the server computer.
In order to use a locally stored portion of a multi-dimensional database, a user must define the portion of the multi-dimensional database that is to be copied from the server computer to the client device. Previous methods for defining the portion of the multi-dimensional database to be copied to the client device have been manual processes, which can be tedious and time consuming. Moreover, these manual processes often require a user to possess an understanding of the structure of the multi-dimensional database. Most users, however, do not posses this knowledge. As a result, previous methods for defining the portion of a multi-dimensional database to be copied to a client device are often complex and frustrating to users.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.